Current Alcohol Consumption

Evaluating Risk Factors: Alcohol Consumption

Evaluating your likely current (and near future) state of health means taking into account the risk factors — such as current alcohol consumption — that affect you.
Our medical diagnosis tool, The Analyst™, identifies major risk factors by asking the right questions.

What is your current average alcohol consumption? A standard drink contains half an ounce of alcohol. A standard drink of beer is 12 ounces (350ml), wine 4 ounces (120ml), and distilled spirits 1 ounce (30ml).

Possible responses:

→ Don't know
→ None at all
→ A few drinks per week or less
→ On average about one drink per day
→ On average, two or more drinks per day

The Diagnostic Process

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate complete alcohol avoidance, low alcohol consumption, moderate alcohol consumption or high alcohol consumption, The Analyst™ will use differential diagnosis to consider possibilities such as:

A study found that elderly people who drank at least 1.5 drinks per day had a risk of heart failure 47% lower than abstainers, regardless of age, race, blood pressure, history of diabetes, smoking and other factors.

Studies do not justify advising lifelong nondrinkers to start drinking for health, especially because most have good reasons for abstaining. People with liver disease or a history of alcohol abuse should not drink at all, while those with diabetes and hypertension may partake in light alcohol consumption.